


The Archer

by KryptonianConstellation



Series: When Word Fail, Music Speaks [2]
Category: Supergirl (TV 2015)
Genre: Based on The Archer by Taylor Swift, F/F, Gen, Kara and Lena fallout, Lena Luthor Finds Out Kara Danvers is Supergirl, Lena Luthor-centric
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2019-07-27
Updated: 2019-07-27
Packaged: 2020-07-23 09:34:09
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 4,841
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/20006119
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/KryptonianConstellation/pseuds/KryptonianConstellation
Summary: Supercorp fic based on The Archer by Taylor Swift.





	The Archer

**Author's Note:**

> Not much on the romance, but really goes into the aspect of their relationship which I love.  
> I was hoping to post this earlier but of course Taylor Swift releases the song when I have no data, occasional wifi, and no laptop.  
> Ignore any mistakes, I wrote 90% of this in the car on my phone lol.

Combat, I'm ready for combat 

I say I don't want that, but what if I do? 

'Cause cruelty wins in the movies 

I've got a hundred thrown-out speeches I almost said to you 

Lena stared ahead. She was thinking about what Brainy had told her. That if she kept her feelings locked away, if she closed all doors from others... all she'd feel is sorrow. 

The thing was, she wanted to open up. To have that ability to connect to someone alike to how Kara and Alex do. In a way, Lena ached for that. She guessed that she always had. But the attempt to do so with Lex only backfired. Lena now saw opening up to someone as a chaotic battlefield. And because she's a Luthor, she instinctively avoids it. It had been ingrained into her that all she needs is herself. No one else. So she doesn't. She doesn't open up.

It's different now. Mother in jail, not hovering over her every move. Her brother... she finally sees past the mirage that had once surrounded him, making him a hero to her. 

Yet, she was so stupid to let him have another chance. Even if there wasn't much leeway for him, she still was willing to save him. Now, people were in danger. And it was all her fault. 

"I'm sorry Kara. I- I shouldn't have let him in again-" 

"I was stupid-"

"He tricked me. And I fell for it yet again. I hate myself for it-"

"I should have told you what's been going on. You're the person closest to me-"

"Sorry I pushed you away. You of all people didn't deserve it-"

Lena sighed. Stared at herself in the mirror, figuring out how she would possibly tell Kara that she was the reason that Lex Luthor was back out there in the world. As the fear of losing the person she most trusted grew and grew. A look of disgust or disappointment because of what she'd done across Kara's face. Someone who had only shown her kindness. 

Lena looked at the time. 3:17. She took a deep breath and left her office before her worries got the best of her and headed to CatCo.

Easy they come, easy they go 

I jump from the train, I ride off alone 

I never grew up, it's getting so old 

Help me hold on to you 

When Kara hugged her she couldn't prevent the tears any longer. 

"You are not weak. You are a brilliant, kind hearted, beautiful soul. Your brother asked you for help, and in life or death situations you help family. No one can judge you for that. I'm so sorry that you felt like you couldn't tell me. I am so sorry."

All Lena could do was let the tears fall. When she feared the worst Kara somehow gave her the best. 

So many times had people come and gone in her life. Ever since she was little. When they found out she was rich she'd be shunned. Treated like she was a spoiled brat by classmates who never took a chance to see otherwise. Then because she was smart. Why be friends with a genius? Someone who would top you at school no matter what, who'd make you feel dumb. Finally, it was because she was a Luthor. Because all Luthors were bad.

It had never changed since she was little. She was always alone. 

Even with her family. They walked ahead of her expecting her to follow behind. She watched as other parents held the hands of their children, and she wondered why it was different for her.

It felt like nothing's changed. But suddenly it had. She opened up to Kara. There was someone offering her a hand to hold. To stand beside her and catch her when she falls. She wasn't alone. Not anymore.

It was hard, ever since she was 4 she stopped expecting someone would hold her hand. That they would stand by her. So it was hard for Lena to take the hand outstretched to her, it was scary. But more than anything did Lena want to hold on to this person. To finally stand with someone.

“Thank you.” Lena wiped her tears. "I really want to help you with your investigation with Lex."

I've been the archer, I've been the prey 

Who could ever leave me, darling 

But who could stay? 

_Lena stared out of the window of her room. The 6-year-old looked small against the tall glass of the bay window. The endless valley of green lay before her with the promise of escape._

_"Lena, want to beat me at chess again?" Lena turned around to see her brother Lex at the door._

_She smiled. "Yeah."_

Lena recalled many moments like that. Where she felt like things were in her favor. Like she was in a good place. In young Lena's mind, the fact that Lex was on her side was well... a fact. Not something to be questioned. 

Now, Lena recalled Lex's words. What he wrote then in his diary.

_Lena craves my attention -- pathetic._

Maybe after all, she was the victim.

And the person who she thought was on her side now left. 

She had been destroyed by it. So she never expected anyone to stay again. 

Kara defied her knowledge of the world once again. 

Dark side, I search for your dark side 

But what if I'm alright, right, right, right here? 

And I cut off my nose just to spite my face 

Then I hate my reflection for years and years 

Lena was back in her L-Corp lab working on the suit. Supergirl's suit. She was essentially merging the Krypto suit and Supergirl's original suit. When she was finished, by pressing the crest, the krypto suit would be activated. 

Maybe after all of this she could make a new one that was a mix of the original suit and the Krypto suit so the risk of a few seconds of exposure to kryptonite could be eliminated. 

A Luthor protecting a Super.

Lena could clearly remember the events of the last year that caused her to be at odds with the hero. 

After that, Lena remained cautious of what the Super did. It wasn't because she didn't trust Supergirl. It was to protect herself. She didn't need to be hurt by anyone who didn't seem to trust her anyways.

But when she admitted that she saw red because she felt the weight of the world on her shoulders, that she was sorry for what she'd done. Lena realized that maybe both of them had searched for the dark where there wasn't any. For what had come between Lex and Superman. 

But they were different people. And once again the taint of the Luthor name had grasped her once again. The family name she hated. The part of who she was she took and tried countlessly to change the minds of people. 

For years, it would be something about her she wished was never true. But it was, so why not change it? 

It would be a challenge, but if aliens who could fly and bend steel with their bare hands existed how far out of reach could the idea of a Luthor being good be?

I wake in the night, I pace like a ghost 

The room is on fire, invisible smoke 

And all of my heroes die all alone 

Help me hold on to you 

"Kara Danvers is Supergirl."

Those were his last words. 

The final words of Lex Luthor were used to torture- no, break his little sister. 

Lena didn't even register the moment Lex took his last breath. She was taking in so much that she could barely breathe herself.

It felt as though her entire world was crashing down on her. Everything she knew to be true, it was all gone. 

Everything she had done, was all thrown back in her face as a joke. 

The gun in her hand felt like an anvil, dragging her down. Her face, though she couldn't see it was strikingly pale against the deep blue of her suit and the raven black of her hair. The only evidence of life was the pain reflected in her eyes as tears slowly and agonizingly fell. 

Kara. 

She closed her eyes, felt the trust that resonated with that name burn, the smoke surrounding her. Suffocating her.

Kara Danvers is Supergirl. 

The hero who went behind her back and didn't trust her word when she said she had no more kryptonite. The one who got mad at her once again when she learned of the Harun-El.

Was also her best friend. The one she trusted most in the world. 

What a joke. 

What a fool she had been.

It took so long for Lena to truly open up to Kara. Now that she had, she finds out that Kara was never doing the same for her. Instead keeping just a big part of her life away from Lena. 

3 years. What Lena would have considered the Happy Years. They were now dull. Filtered with grey.

How did she not see it? She was a genius for goodness sakes. She could create a plane that could fly itself but not see that her best friend was also National City's hero. 

Yet it was right in front if her. She had never seen Kara and Supergirl in the same place. Many of Kara's friends knew or worked with Supergirl. "I flew here on a bus." 

How naïve was she?

But why? Because she was a Luthor? Wanted to keep tabs on her? 

No, if so why would Kara have been one to believe in her. Kara saved her every time. Even against the friends she loved. 

Was there really ever trust? 

Lena wasn't sure. She couldn't fathom why Kara never told her. 

The only thing Lena knew right now was the pain. The hurt that it was causing her. The feeling of falling into never ending darkness. 

Kara had broken her.

I've been the archer, I've been the prey 

Screaming, who could ever leave me, darling 

But who could stay? 

(I see right through me, I see right through me) 

All Lena could think of as she stared at the broken glass of the frame was that she should have seen it.

Instead, all over again had she believed she was in control. That she was the queen on the chessboard. Now she felt like a pawn.

She was still recovering from the betrayal of Eve. Someone she let in easily because she believed she could. Because Kara made her see she could.

But now Lena saw red.

Every single person she was willing to let in ended up being her downfall. 

Lena thought for once that she had people she could be family with. To have what she wished for. People who cared for her. That would never leave her because family stands by each other.

Apparently she was wrong. Everyone left her. Everyone ended up hurting her. She saw that now.

'Cause they see right through me 

They see right through me 

They see right through 

Can you see right through me? 

They see right through 

They see right through me 

I see right through me 

I see right through me 

  
Did any of them trust her? Did anyone believe in her? They all kept this lie. They all let Kara do this to her.

She had become closer friends with Alex, but of course she'd be by Kara no matter what. They had a bond that was unbreakable. 

James, he never said anything too. Not even when they dated. But he knew, of course he knew. He was Superman's best friend. 

Did Kara ask them too? Did she not want her to ever know? Would Lena ever had heard it from her? Or did Kara believe she was too much of a fool to ever find out?

Brainy also knew didn't he? Someone who had helped her open up to Kara. And Nia? The young reporter who Kara was mentoring. She knew too.

J'onn of course, the father figure to the Danvers sisters. 

Everyone but her. She was a fool.

And she let them fool her.

All the king's horses, all the king's men 

Couldn't put me together again 

'Cause all of my enemies started out friends 

Help me hold on to you 

Weeks have passed. All spent on work. On avoiding anyone and everyone. 

She hasn't been to a game night since the day she found out. Heck, she's hardly been out of L-Corp. Only time really was when she was in her apartment. 

She always gave Kara the lame excuse that she's working on a big project that's been needing a lot of her attention. And it was. But more so because Lena wants it to.

Plus, how different is it from Kara giving her a lame excuse and disappears as Supergirl?

Lena wasn't sure how long she could get away with it. All she knew was she didn't want to return to the world. She wanted any chance to escape it. 

No one had been able to get Lena to see that she was overworking herself. That it was unhealthy. She didn't care.

No matter how many times her assistant, her driver, her employees would tell her she'd stay locked away in her lab. Isolating herself from human interaction.

To others, it wasn't a good thing. But to Lena it ensured her that she wouldn't have to be hurt again.

If avoiding people meant she'd never feel that pain she felt again, then so be it. 

Still, a small voice inside her wished to hold onto the promise Kara gave her

_"Now you will have someone who will stand up for you, always."_

_"Promise?"_

_"Promise."_

Lena ignored it. 

Lena closed all doors, no one could reach her. 

She didn't want anyone to. Because no matter what, all who seemed to be friends turned out as enemies.

Her hand slipped from her grasp.

I've been the archer, I've been the prey 

Who could ever leave me, darling 

But who could stay? 

(I see right through me, I see right through me) 

Who could stay? 

Who could stay? 

Who could stay? 

She finally finished it. She stared at the pair of contacts in her hand. Technology that could change the world. 

_I'm trusting technology, not people. Not anymore,_ Lena thought. 

She put them on. Then she used her fingers to activate them. Her eyes glowed a bright light blue than then usual soft green they were. 

Now she had control. Now she no longer had to be the prey. 

A transparent panel appeared on her right side. Lena walked to her desk and used it so the contacts would use the algorithm she created for the prototype. 

Lena gasped as her surroundings changed. It was extremely detailed. As if she was in this other place and not her office.

Lena seemed to be at the front of a school. She watched as Supergirl waved goodbye to a group of students. 

The Supergirl saw her. She looked confused for a moment. Lena walked up to her. 

Lena let herself act instinctively, in whatever way she wanted. Because for once it didn't matter. It would have no true effect on her life. It was merely a scientific trial. 

So, trial 1:

"Kara."

"Lena, I didn't mean-"

Lena punched her. 

Lena logically knew she could never actually harm the hero. Doing that, she would have been the one who got hurt. But here she could.

Lena frowned finding no satisfaction nor ease in her pain. 

So she continued. She tried confronting Kara, both the hero and reporter, majority of times it ended in Lena shouting at Kara. Telling her to go away, to stay out of her life. 

She tried confronting Alex. James. Brainy. 

But each time she let her emotions get the best of her. 

"Trial 35," Lena said to herself as the day bled into night.

Then came the day. The day she was preparing for. The whole purpose of the trials.

Lena was aware it would be the worst place because it was a crowded event. But she didn't know when she'd be able to make herself go and see Kara. This event forced her to.

In truth, she could have backed out. But it would allow media outlets to question and wonder if she may be on her brother's side. She wasn't going to let all her attempts at changing the Luthor name fall to ruins because she wasn't sure if she could bear being in the same room as Kara. 

She watched and let the event unfold before her. Feeling disconnected, she merely watched, her face expressionless. 

Lena was seated on the balcony. Many people sat below. It was then Kara's moment happened. Kara received her Pulitzer from the article she wrote that revealed Lex's true actions.

She heard the loudest cheers from Kara's family. All of then were there below in the sea of people. 

"Hi, um thank you for this. I never expected it. To put it simply, I was doing my job. One of my favorite things about reporting was finding the truth and delivering it to people. It was something my cousin showed me, something my best friend inspired me to try and continue, what my sister helped me with. And of course I was given endless support from the friends I call family. I'm just glad I got to help. Also, I'd like to thank my best friend Lena Luthor, I honestly couldn't have done this without her." Kara finally spotted her up in the balcony seat. "Thank you." Kara left the stage. An applause sounded. 

Lena searched for the lie beneath Kara's words. She found none. Lena sat there confused. 

She was mentioned most in Kara's speech. More than Alex even. _Why?_

Lena made her exit. She spotted Kara enter the backstage area. Two people who had shown her there left back to the side of the stage. It was just Kara there. Really there. This time it was reality. 

“Lena!” Kara spotted her. Kara smiled and walked over to her. 

“You thanked me a lot in your speech.”

“Of course, you deserve it.” _Didn’t I deserve to know?_

“Kara.”

“Yes?”

“Take off your glasses.”

“Wh- what?” Kara had a look of surprise on her face.

“Glasses off. Please.” 

Kara hesitantly took them off. Lena kept emotion out of her face.

“Lena, I can explai-”

“You don’t need to. Three years Kara. Three. I let you in, more than I had with anyone else. Apparently you didn’t feel the same. You could have told me. I could understand why for the first while, but why did you still keep it a secret? Were you ever going to tell me?” 

“I was going to. Right after the whole Lex fiasco, I- I barely have seen you since. I-”

“Right. Lex. Even in death he finds a way to be victorious. He told me before he died. He told me you were Supergirl.”

“W- what? B- how’s that possible? He- he fell-”

“He teleported himself with the last reserves of his suit. He’s not dead because he fell from the sky. He’s dead because I killed him. I shot him.”

“Lena…”

“There. All _my_ secrets are out in the open. And I was the one to tell you. I thought we were friends. I thought you would be by my side. But you kept me in the dark Kara. I’ve had time to think about this. I found that it wasn’t that my best friend was someone who apparently went behind my back and didn’t trust me, that was because you were being a hero. No, what hurt most was that my best friend didn’t tell me when she didn’t have to be a hero. I know that you have the biggest heart and care for others so much, but the world is hard. It’s complex and it comes with pain. You don’t need to save me Kara. I needed a friend more than I needed a hero. But I guess I don’t have either. Not anymore.

“You knew that it was the hardest thing for me to open up to you. But you couldn’t do the same for me. I should have heard it from you. I don’t care what the excuse is. I should have. But it’s too late to change that. We’re not friends anymore Kara. I thought you of all people knew how to be a good friend. Apparently I was wrong. Though, I’m always wrong about people aren’t I? Goodbye Kara.” 

Lena saw the tears in her eyes. She knew it hit hard to home. She knew she was hurting Kara. But Lena walked away. No emotion showed on her face. 

You could stay 

You could stay 

Lena continued working. She did final trials with her new product and was starting to get it out onto the market. She was exhausted. 

It was 2 weeks since she had confronted Kara in real life. She didn’t talk to any of Kara’s friends that tried to contact her. Lena simply, disappeared. Again. 

Lena walked into her apartment, it was nearly midnight. She was so tired she just wanted to head straight to bed. It was then she nearly slipped on an orange envelope on the floor. It seemed that someone slipped it beneath her door. Lena picked it up. She didn’t see who it was from. She hesitantly opened it. 

There were a few pages that looked like they were ripped from a notebook. Then a letter. It had Kara’s writing. 

_Dear Lena,_

_I’m sorry. And you’re right. I should have told you. But I’m a coward. I may look confident as Supergirl, but in truth when I am scared I am a coward. I was scared to lose you. I know that’s no excuse. You mean a lot to me. You didn’t expect me to be coordinated, to know what the right thing to do was, to save everyone, to be a hero. All you expected me to be was human. You were Kara Danvers’ friend because you cared about her. All the rambling, clumsiness, and silliness combined. You let me be human._

_I spent years wanting to be human. I hid my powers. I learned earth customs. You were the one person who made me feel human. You liked my human side. I was selfish. You don’t need to forgive me, I understand. But I wanted you to know that I did want to tell you. That I do trust you. I always have. I was just scared because you were too important to me to lose._

_These are from my diary. I write just for myself. To clear my thoughts. I’m sharing them with you because the person writing these pages isn’t Kara nor Supergirl, it’s Kara Zor-El. Who I am as a whole._

Lena stared at the note. She was unsure of what to think. So she started to read the other papers. 

_February 13, 2017_

_Today was quite a day. Lena was arrested. Everyone believed she was guilty. It was hard, I could never believe that Lena is guilty. But everyone told me she was. Alex, J’onn, James especially. No one believed me. I didn’t care though, I saw that Lena was innocent, so I fought for her. And I was right. There were so many times that it would have been easier to say she was guilty, but it felt wrong. I knew in my heart it wasn’t true._

_Lena’s amazing. She has so much potential and good in her, but to many others, it’s blurred by her last name. I don’t see why people can’t see past that. I get the importance a name can hold, I come from a well known Kryptonian family. But it hurts to see it can become such a burden on someone who doesn’t deserve it._

_May 14, 2018_

_I messed up. Real bad. I’m worried. I overreacted and got mad at Lena as Supergirl over kryptonite. She learned how to make it, and I guess… I should have known to act better. J’onn and Superman had a had argument that had them at odds for years. Kal wanted to store it somewhere where it wasn’t accessible while J’onn wanted to keep it in D.E.O stores in case evil kryptonians come back. Kal was worried about me, about this weakness. Not because he didn’t want to have a weakness. But the possibility it holds._

_Me and Kal are the only ones who have these powers. Who can save people. Who can protect the people we love. If we’re gone… who will be there to protect? I don’t need a weakness out there to worry about._

_I know Lena was doing what she thought was best. She was helping Sam._ _But…_ _I was worried on my aspect of being a hero. But I think now I’ve risked our friendship. And I know she still doesn’t know… but I don’t know if I could ever bring myself to after this._

_May 28, 2018_

_James told Lena that Supergirl asked him to go behind her back and check if she still had kryptonite. I’m not really sure how I feel about it. Not exactly happy with James. I should have taken Lena’s word for it. Why do I make things worse? But sometimes it’s so hard to stop being a hero when I know I have to protect. But it was a horrible choice as a friend. I want to tell Lena that she can trust Supergirl because Supergirl is also Kara. To say why Supergirl took it so personally. But I can’t. I’d put her in danger. She already has so much to deal with as a Luthor. I couldn’t add the possibility of someone using it against her. I hate it though, that I have been lying to her while she’s been opening up to me._

_I know it would be best to tell her. But James has been kidnapped before because he knew who I was. Sweet and silly Winn had been put into a world of danger and criminals because of me. Alex… Alex was kidnapped too. Nearly died because someone knew Kara was Supergirl. I don’t want to worry about another person getting hurt because of me. It’s safest if Lena just knows Kara as the CatCo reporter, nothing more._

_May 5, 2019_

_I almost told her. I almost told Lena. I couldn’t though. She was talking about how much it hurt being betrayed by Eve. How Eve lied to her everyday while she trusted her. That I was the reason she was still able to trust others. I needed to tell her because she worried about me a lot while we were in Kaznia. But she didn’t need to, she doesn’t need to. At that point, it seemed that her not knowing was going to do more harm than good. So I took my glasses off, did my stance. I wonder what would have happened if she turned around. I backed out from telling her because I couldn’t break her. Not while the whole Lex fiasco was happening. It would be too much for her. I couldn’t bear to see her get hurt more, especially if it was because of me. I still need to tell her. I will once we stop Lex. Even if I lose her. Even if she hates me for it. I can’t keep doing this to her._

_May 20, 2019_

A _lex told me to wait a little to tell Lena. That things were finally beginning to feel normal after all of that chaos. To let Lena have a break from it before I told her. I get that. But I don’t know if it was the right choice. I hate to have to keep it from her for another day._

_But it’s so nice to have my sister back. It was the hardest thing ever having her not know I was Supergirl. Both keeping that a secret from my best friend and sister was almost too much…_

Lena stared at the portions of Kara’s diary entries. Unsure what to make of it. But it was evidence. That Kara had struggled telling her, doing what she thought was best for Lena. Though, Lena could see that Kara realized her mistakes that she cared for her. Lena saw the reasoning of both Kara and Supergirl. 

Then Lena realized what Kara was doing. She was opening up to Lena. Giving her access to personal thoughts from the past 3 years. Seeing both sides of her. 

**Lena:** No more secrets

**Kara:** Got it 

**Lena:** I’ll need time

**Kara:** You’ve got as long as you need 

There was a hand outstretched to her once again. She didn’t take it this time. But Lena took reassurance that it would stay there until she was ready to offer hers.

**Author's Note:**

> So I'm pretty sure Kara's diary actually burned or something back when the two when to Kaznia, but it worked well with the story so we're just going to ignore that fact for the sake of the fic.  
> Anyways you can find me on twitter @_Argo_Navis


End file.
